A martial arts tutor who sexually abused two schoolgirls has been jailed for more than four years.

Paul Monty, 54, groomed the underage girls, tied them up and had sex with them in his home and shop.

The abuse happened in the 1980s when Monty was aged in his twenties.

Decades after the abuse, the two victims came forward to give evidence as adults of the sexual encounters.

Monty, of Elton, near Stockton, denied the 13 charges - eight of indecency with a child and five other sexual offences, but was found guilty after a trial earlier this month.

The former shop owner and doorman was sentenced to four-and-a-half years at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Sentencing Monty, Judge Peter Bowers said his victims were “flattered by the attention he gave them”.

“You abused those two young girls in their teenage years,” Judge Bowers said.

He added: “It is clear that the abuse had an effect on their adult lives and it is clear they both continue to suffer the impact of what happened when they were teenagers, even though it is 25 years ago.”

He said he admitted he had sex with each of them when they were 18, but not when they were underage.

Jurors found Monty guilty on December 2 after considering verdicts for almost six-and-a-half hours. They found him guilty on all counts - three unanimously, the rest by a 10-1 majority.

Judge Bowers decided against giving Monty a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. He said: “The prosecution have to prove to me that it is necessary for an order to me made on the grounds that there is reason to believe that you will in future commit a similar offence and I am not persuaded by that.”